Automated banking machines are known in the prior art. A common type of automated banking machine is an automated teller machine (ATM). ATMs are used to carry out banking transactions on a self service basis. ATMs may dispense cash to users from their account. Some ATMs may accept deposits. Other ATMs may perform functions such as dispensing stamps, printing tickets, producing scrip, cashing checks, printing money orders and performing other types of transactions. For purposes of this disclosure any machine which is capable of carrying out transactions involving transfers of value is referred to as an automated banking machine.
Automated banking machines which accept deposits often require the user to input a deposit item into the machine in which it is processed and/or stored for later removal by authorized persons. Sometimes the deposit item may be an envelope or other container which holds deposit content therein. Such content may include items of value such as cash, checks, money orders, gift certificates, coupons, coin or other types of instruments. When deposit items are deposited in this manner the user is sometimes required to provide inputs through input devices on the banking machine indicative of the value associated with the item that is being deposited. Typically this is a total value of the cash, checks or other content within the deposited item. The automated banking machine may store the information about the indicated deposit value and/or may print value information on the deposited item along with a transaction number, account number or other information that allows the deposit to be traced back to a user and/or a particular transaction.
In order to verify the indicated deposit value, the operator of the banking machine often must later recover the deposit item from a storage area within the machine. The operator opens the deposit item and determines if the content and the actual deposit value thereof correspond to the indicated deposit value. In most cases the actual deposit value corresponds to the indicated deposit value and the customer's account is credited accordingly. In other instances a discrepancy is noted between the actual deposit value and the indicated deposit value. In such cases the customer may be notified as to the amount of credit that they will be given for the deposit instead of the indicated deposit value that was provided to the machine.
Sometimes when deposited items are removed from the banking machine, the items are damaged. Such damage may include for example a torn or otherwise open envelope. In some cases the deposit item or the remnants thereof may not contain any deposit content. In some cases the deposit content may be loose in the storage area in the banking machine. In other cases the content may not be found at all.
Deposited items are sometimes removed from the banking machine in a tamper indicating deposit holding container and are transported to a remote location for verification. In other situations the deposited items may be transferred to a bag or other container at the site of the automated banking machine. The items may be taken to a remote location for verification of the contents of the deposited items.
In some circumstances at the remote location the content of a damaged or open deposit item may not be found. This may present issues as to whether the customer may have deliberately deposited an empty and damaged envelope into the banking machine. Alternatively questions may arise as to whether the persons responsible for removing deposits from the machine may have wrongfully taken the deposit content. Finally questions may arise as to whether persons responsible for verifying the amount of the deposit may have lost or misappropriated the content of the deposit item. In some circumstances because responsibility for the missing content cannot be established, the operator of the ATM may choose to credit the customer for the indicated deposit value even though the deposit content has never been found. In some circumstances the user may be perpetrating a fraud by deliberately attempting to deposit a damaged deposit item.
Damage to deposit items may be caused by a number of factors. The inclusion of various types of deposit items such as envelopes containing folded notes or sheets or coins may result in irregularly shaped deposit items. The envelopes holding such items may be subject to tearing due to their irregular contours. The tearing of such irregular shaped envelope deposit items may further contribute to uncertainty as to the content of deposit envelopes.
A further potential issue with deposits is that a banking machine customer wishing to make a deposit may not have an envelope available. Although envelope supplies may be provided, such open supplies may be subject to vandalism and/or removal of all the deposit envelopes. Such open supplies may also result in unused envelopes being littered about the area of the banking machine which provides an unattractive appearance.
Further issues may arise due to the inability to mark appropriate indicia on deposit envelopes. While different types of printing devices have been used for marking such envelopes, it is not uncommon for such printing devices to experience difficulties which result in a lack of legible printing of information on deposit envelopes.
Depository envelopes are also often difficult to dispense. This is sometimes due to the desire to dispense envelopes with peel-off or fold-open adhesive for holding envelope flaps in a secure condition. The use of such peel-off or other adhesive may avoid the need for users to lick or otherwise provide water to seal an envelope. The use of such envelopes may be desirable to provide more sanitary conditions. However, the presence of such adhesive mechanisms may present challenges in transporting and dispensing empty envelopes to users of the banking machine.
Deposit items often have significant value. For this reason, criminals may attempt to utilize fraud devices to obtain deposit items. For example, criminals may attempt to place items within a depository opening to capture deposit items so that they may be removed. Alternatively, criminals may attempt to utilize devices to fish out deposited items that have already been moved into a storage area within the machine.
The acceptance of deposits in automated banking machines also poses additional challenges. Some depositories may be difficult to repair or replace. Further, containers utilized for holding deposit items may be subject to abuse or tampering.
Further features of existing banking machine depositories and systems may benefit from improvements.